St. Martin News Network

Philipsburg: ---- Dutch teenager Laura Dekker was sent back to the Netherlands on Monday after she was found by authorities here on Sunday. According to police spokesman, Ricardo Henson the teenager arrived on St. Maarten on Thursday from a Paris flight.
Henson said Dekker stayed somewhere in the vicinity of the Simpson Bay yacht club from Thursday to Sunday when she was found. Authorities on St. Maarten he said was asked to placed the teenager at a local hotel under the watchful eyes of the Marchausse. Henson said all arrangements were made from Curacao for the teenager to travel back to the Netherlands on Monday. She was escorted to the Princess Juliana International Airport by assistant chief commissioner of police Daphne Francesca who made sure she boarded Insel Air to Curacao then to the Netherlands. Dekker had with her a guitar and several bags including a small suitcase.

According news reports online Dekker ran away from home after she failed to convince a Dutch court that she is old enough to sail around the world. She was located two days after she was reported missing.
Henson said the teenager cooperated well with police and those that were close contact with her after she was located.
While police here have not confirmed if Dekker was in contact with anyone who would have assisted her to take her dream voyage it was clear it was still on her mind as she was located at a marina.

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